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Thank You, Dr. Misner!
I am the president and CEO of Cyber-Logic Computer Services, a company I run with my wife, in Lantzville, British Columbia, Canada. I am a BNI member in the Nanaimo, BC, Harbor City Breakfast Club group. When I first heard about BNI, I was interested but somewhat skeptical. After having been part of several other "business groups," I was a bit jaded, but I figured I would give it a try for six months. During my first six months, I carefully tracked every referral, and much to my pleasant surprise I found that being a member BNI had added over $8,000 to my sales figures (about $4000 in profit). I was hooked! In my second year as a BNI member, I received a lead from a new person in our group. She didn't get many referrals but gave a few. She asked if I would be interested in a "project" that her company was bidding on. I said, "You bet!" The "project" just happened to be a Y2K upgrade for a very large client (over 1000 PCs and over 25 locations). That one referral took over eight months to finish and was worth over $80,000 to my little company. This goes to show: 1.) NEVER underestimate the power of one referral. 2.) It's QUALITY not QUANTITY in the referral that counts. Being a member of BNI has also helped me enormously with my public speaking and network marketing skills. Over the past five-plus years I have been Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer as well as on the Membership Committee. I guess all that is left now is the presidency! I wanted to drop you a note to let you know how important BNI has been to my business. I have been with BNI for eight years; it is my absolute number one form of marketing my business. I get 80 percent of my new business as a result of my BNI relationships. People often ask me when I have time to work my water cooler business because I am always working my BNI business. I explain to them that BNI and my business go hand in hand. I jokingly say without BNI I would not have a business. Of course that is in jest, but the reality is without BNI I would have to work a whole lot harder to accomplish a whole lot less! I am a firm believer in the "Givers Gain" philosophy and know that if you work BNI it will work for you! In today’s times, networking is the absolute best way to increase sales while at the same time developing lasting relationships. I am fortunate to have a chapter of committed members who view ourselves as one another's "sales team" with a weekly goal of educating and motivating our team. Because of BNI, I have a constant flow of qualified referrals, which makes my water cooler business and BNI a huge success. Givers Gain The Power Partners of the Victor Valley kicked off on May 21st with 12 members. Since then, this chapter of 12 has made $850,700 worth of business for chapter members! And while they are looking for other qualified professionals to increase their chapter size, they are still looking for a real estate agent to complete one of their “Power Partners” categories. They are truly showing the “Givers Gain” philosophy. This chapter has done this by raising the bar to the highest degree in encouraging their membership to work together and by going on “Dance Cards” appointments each week to get to know each other better. And it is working. I expect to see great ideas coming out of this incredible new chapter. In addition to my involvement in my South County, RI, chapter, I am active in the local Chamber of Commerce. While they pay me for some of my work there, I often volunteer to help fix small problems that otherwise would be left unfixed. On a visit back in June, I noticed their expensive high-speed printer for printing the Chamber monthly newsletter was not connected to their network. They explained that the company they bought it from had trouble making the connection, and they decided not to use a direct PC connection. The printer has a scanner on top and whenever they used this printer, they would scan the page to be printed and print the copies. While I had never seen the type of printer they had, nor had I even heard of the manufacturer, I volunteered to see if I could get it connected to their network so they could print directly from a PC to the printer. I thought that they would get higher quality output from the printer if they went directly from the electronic source instead of scanning a printed page. It took about an hour to research the printer, find the appropriate software and install it so they could print directly to the printer. A few weeks later at my BNI chapter meeting, we decided we would insert a page into the local Chamber of Commerce newsletter to try to find local businesses that might be interested in joining us. Another member of our group designed a full page that she would bring to the Chamber to include in their newsletter. Due to my help at the Chamber, my company was awarded the job when it came time to upgrade their computers. I was doing this work when that member of my BNI chapter came to the Chamber to bring them the insert for the newsletter. The woman at the Chamber tried a test print of the ad, and there was a problem. The half-tone map of directions to our meeting was unreadable. Other elements of the ad were unclear as sometimes happens when a half-tone printed page is scanned and printed. Luckily, I was there and had the original electronic document that was used to create the page. Using the direct PC connection I had fixed back in June, we reprinted the test page. The result was a very readable map and clear half-tones. Little did I know back in June when I helped fix the direct PC connection that I would be one of the people who would benefit from the work. It is true: “What goes around, comes around.”
Odes to BNI This is a story of how one woman benefited from using everyone in the Concord California BNI chapter: Her new marketing materials (Jerry) did sophisticate. Her competition she did eliminate (Terri). She learned how to avoid probate (Dess). In her new car, she didn’t dare tailgate (Joe). She got a great new piece of real estate (Oliver) With a mortgage at an all-time-low rate (Roger), Which was insured as of the purchase date (Bill). Her new trainer helped her lose weight (Jeff). Her massages kept her stress at bay (Gail). Her new therapy helped her throw her meds away (Diane). Her financial plan was underway (Bob). Multiple tax deductions (Tom) did find. She even got her spine in line (Robert). Her new floors, they did shine (Al). Her new wardrobe was divine (Kay). Her new yard was like a shrine (Ruben). Her important legal documents were signed (Kathy). Her face was looking fine (Terese). Her new website was well designed (Matt). Her employees were now paid on time (Taylor). They didn’t owe the hospital a dime (Larry). The automatic systems were well-timed (Lee). Their computers were all aligned (Steve). When they broke down, they were fixed in no time (Eric). Their programming was effortless (Cory). She learned how to grow her business (Paul). With a bank loan that kept her from being penniless (David). Her new phones were all wireless (Donna). And getting life insurance was painless (Dan). This is an example of the abundance of service we have available in our chapter so far. Let’s take advantage of this wonderful network. Darrell Reagan of the Rocky Mountain Business Builders in Colorado Springs wrote this poem for his 60 second presentation: “Health Insurance and Other Silly Things” Billy Blue and Bobby Red Were smart as smart can be, it’s said For Billy Blue it was PPO Indemnity is best for Bobby Red HMO was for the Sickly they said. Billy Blue thought his plan was best His PPO would let him rest But Bobby Red knew his was better He knew his policy to the letter. They played and climbed and ran around They played with fuzzy things on the ground Billy Blue slid down and Bobby Red climbed a tree They were as happy as happy could be. Then WHAM!!! Bobby fell from the tree Bill said, “Ouch!! You fell on me.” Billy Red’s leg was bent this way where it should have bent that Bobby Blue’s arm was broken in fact. The hospital was not too far away So they helped each other to get there that day Billy Blue showed his card with a PPO The Nurse said, “You’re out of network you know?” Billy Blue said, “Yes, but where can I go?” “We’ll treat you here, but you will pay more Double your deductible, that’s for sure” “What about my Co-pay? Don’t I have that?” “Not here. Your PPO doesn’t work like that.” Meanwhile Bobby Red was getting great care He can use indemnity anywhere They fixed him up fast, and he was out on his way $75 dollars is all he did pay. Bobby Red remembered he had something else too His Agent Darrell had helped more than he knew Dislocated or fractured bones would pay more A check for $500 came to his door. Billy Blue was stuck with an outrageous bill This happened a year ago and he is paying it still Bobby Blue came out ahead in the end And sent a referral to Darrell for his friend. Here is a man I know and I trust Getting your insurance through him is a must What happened to you could happen again And it could be worse, what will you do then? Billy Blue gave his friend’s friend a call He said, “Darrell, you have the best insurance of all” Bobby Red was happy he had helped Billy Blue He had helped his friend and helped Darrell too. Billy Blue said, “Why did you do this for me? I’m just as happy as happy could be.” I like to help other’s get out of their pain I also hear somewhere of Givers Gain. Members in the News Dane Widner was honored as the “Rookie of the Month” for March at the monthly luncheon of the Odessa (Texas) Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors. Dane joined the Ambassadors in November 2002. In addition to being a Chamber Ambassador, Dane is also a member of the Permian Bass Club and serves as the President of the Basin Business Builders chapter of BNI. Maria-Elena Duron, BNI Executive Director and member of the Midland Business Builders chapter, has recently been selected as a National Speaker for Monster.com’s Making It Count Program. Maria was one of 51 selected from a national search that drew in excess of 5,000 applicants. She has also recently been named the Internet Woman’s Virtual Chamber of Commerce’s first community affairs director. Maria-Elena will act as a virtual bridge between the women in business communities in her home state of Texas. She will also play a role in connecting the chamber in Arizonia, New Mexico and Las Vegas. Maria-Elena will report on women in business news, inform small business associations about chamber programs, mingle with the media, gather resources from agencies that assist women in business for the chamber site and much, much more. Congratulations, Members! The following members were recently awarded Gold Club Badges:
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